I can't play in the first team yet... A fourth-year military outfielder who disappointed Kim Tae-hyung, will it be different in the second half of the year? It's a good start.

Jul 03, 2025

I can't play in the first team yet... A fourth-year military outfielder who disappointed Kim Tae-hyung, will it be different in the second half of the year? It's a good start.
photo courtesy of Lotte Giants



"Lack of confidence in batting." There are still many things to be desired to play in the first team."

Although he was the No. 1 prospect in the Lotte Giants outfield, he was not selected this year when the outfield became Muju Gongsan.

It is a story of Cho Se-jin (22), a military outfielder who has already joined the professional league in his fourth year.




Lotte's outfield, consisting of Reyes, Hwang Sung-bin and Yoon Dong-hee, looked solid just before the season. In addition, the presence of Cho Se-jin, who supports him, has always been noted. Due to the lack of big guns, it is natural that expectations are high for Cho Se-jin, who has long hitting power.

He was discharged from the military in November last year after serving as a permanent member of the Armed Forces Sports Unit. As Kim Min-seok left in the offseason through a trade, there was a gap in the outfield. This year, which even shook off the military service, looked like it would be an emergency year. This was why he was expected to have a defense that could cover not only the corner outfield but also the center field and good shoulders.

I can't play in the first team yet... A fourth-year military outfielder who disappointed Kim Tae-hyung, will it be different in the second half of the year? It's a good start.
photo courtesy of Lotte Giants
But the reality is harsh. This year, Cho Se-jin played in seven games in the first team and had no hits in five times at bat. Compared to his debut season (2022, 186, 16 hits in 86 at-bats), he has hardly had a chance to play. He has been in the first team three times this year, and although he stayed for as little as four days to as long as two weeks, most of them played as a logistical guard or couldn't play at all.




Even after Hwang Sung-bin and Jang Doo-sung were injured one after another, veteran Jeon Joon-woo took the left field, and college graduate rookie Kim Dong-hyuk and this year's rookie Han Seung-hyun received opportunities in the first division, but there was no place for Cho Se-jin.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung pointed out that he lacks confidence in the reason why he does not use Cho Se-jin. He also emphasized whether to pick a ball, actively narrow and hit the zone, and the order of the head coach according to the timing of his appointment.

I can't play in the first team yet... A fourth-year military outfielder who disappointed Kim Tae-hyung, will it be different in the second half of the year? It's a good start.
photo courtesy of Lotte Giants
Cho has a batting average of .300 (39 hits in 130 times at bat) with five homers and 23 RBIs with an OPS of 0.849. Compared with Han Dong-hee and Lee Jae-won who are serving in the military at Sangmu, he certainly has a lot of regrets. All the more so for an ambitious tax team.




Could it be different in the second half of the year. First of all, it's a good start.

The game against the LG Twins' second division in Sangdong, Gimhae, on the 1st ended in a heat wave cold with Lotte's second division leading 10-2 after the fifth inning.

On this day, Cho Se-jin made three hits, four RBIs, and one run in three at-bats, including a two-run shot against LG Woo Kang-hoon. Is it his trailer that will fly in the second half of the year.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.